Ace Of Spades
by BlackOlives
Summary: He was the Ace of Spades. AcexOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, fellow One Piece obsessors! I hope you enjoy this fanfic. Its an AcexOC, I intend to bring this story up until the current manga arc (dressrosa) but for now it starts with when Ace heads out to sea. Please forgive me for any OOC-ness and grammatical errors, this is a long chapter and I may have skimmed over editing ㈳7. Please review, I want some constructive criticism! All the characters you recognize belong to Oda, where as Asuna and other OC's as well as Cassiopeia belong to me. I'll update every week or so with monster chapters like this (Almost 7,000 words here) Thank you and goodnight!**

A playful breeze tugged at ends of her flowing robe as she stepped out in to the inky night, chestnut waves billowing about her slim form. Intelligent amber eyes scanned the dark, timbered terrain as she swiftly headed South, concealing herself in the shadow provided by the towering trees. The night was silent save the muffled padding of her boots on the lushly vegetated ground and the sound of her bag swinging at her side as she accelerated up the sloping ground towards the coast.

Asuna slowed into a steady jog as she could make out her destination: a small clearing atop the cliffs that lined Cassiopeia's coasts like the colossal walls of a fortress. A blissful smile graced her delicate features as she settled into the familiar patch of soft grass and inhaled the salty smell of the sea, allowing the soothing whisper of the waves to wash over her as she concentrated on steadying her breathing.

Once her heartbeat was calmed, Asuna turned her attention to the dark expanse above her. A canopy of deep blue stretched out as far as she could see, millions of glittering stars scattered across the night sky. However Asuna's gaze was locked on to the luminosity of the night's full moon. A soft sigh escaped her lips. It'd only been 24 hours since she had last seen the stars but it felt like centuries ago. She spent her days dreaming about the moment when the sun would finally set, giving way to the enchanting darkness with it's sparkling stars and glowing moon. The night and this view was- ultimately- what she lived for.

Reluctantly, Asuna removed her hands from the velvety grass to her bag and went about setting up her telescope like every other night. She began by leveling her tripod and equatorial mount then balanced it by adjusting the counterweight and the telescope in its cradle. Her nimble fingers then aligned the scope to Polaris, the North Star, once the entire assembly was in its starting position.

Sliding in an eye piece with a swiftness one acquires only through repetition, Asuna observed the magnified stars and made notations on the star-charts she had drawn up that morning in her elegant hand. All that was heard was the scratching of pen on the thick paper along with the crashing of waves against the cliffside as she was absorbed into her work.

She carefully focused her telescope onto Cassiopeia, the constellation that served as the island's namesake, in the north sky. The constellation represented the Ethiopian queen, Cassiopeia, chained to her throne in the heavens by Poseidon after boasting of her unrivalled beauty. She made note of the four brightest stars that formed Cassiopeia's 'w' shaped constellation: Alpha Cassiopeiae, a double star; Beta Cassiopeiae; Gamma Cassiopeiae, a shell star with a high level of rotation; Delta Cassiopeiae, an Algol-type eclipsing variable star. After changing the eye piece for a higher magnification, Asuna could just make out the two dimmer single stars, Epsilon and Rho Cassiopeiae, but failed to find the four dimmer double stars of Cassiopeia that the astronomy book to her left had specified. Professor Hermann had told her all about Eta, Iota, Sigma and Psi Cassiopeiae when he had lent her the book at dinner that day.

Hermann-san was the Professor of Astronomy at the House of Wisdom, Cassiopeia Kingdom's great university, in the capital city of Cassia. He was a dumpy man somewhere in his late fifties with a round face that always flushed a most alarming shade of red whenever he passionately spoke of his profession. He lived with his wife in a little house not far from the modest cottage Asuna and her father shared. He often ate dinner with them on the basis of lending books to her or talking to her father, with whom he had been childhood friends, but Asuna had always suspected that he did this to get away from his sour-faced wife. Hermann-san commuted to Cassia everyday from Liscia city, insisting he would not want to leave his hometown but it was clear he did not want to live in the noble-populated capital, nor would he be able to afford residence there with the scant pay that professors received from the beli-hoarding Royal family of Cassiopeia Kingdom.

Liscia was just one in five of the settlements on the island, excluding the capital. Liscia was home to the Liscian warrior clan of powerful fighters. The men of Liscia formed the royal army of King Cepheus, one man from every family. The city's population was somewhere around 2,500, in comparison to the capital's 3,000 making Liscia the second largest settlement in the kingdom. Liscia was towards the southern coast of Cassiopeia, encompassed by high trees and with the coastal cliffs at the city's edge.

Liscian fighters served as the kingdom's patrons of security. Asuna's father was a senior warrior of the Royal Army. She lived a modest life with her father, he strongly believed that luxury was a lifestyle not meant for true warriors. Warriors, in his opinion, should live simple lives dedicated to perfecting their fighting skills- not beli-chasing. A philosophy her father had inherited from his commander. Hence they lived in a simple cottage and wore simple clothing, only ever spending a lot when it came to weapons, not that her father's pay could afford anything luxurious anyways.

Fiddling with the intricate knobs on her telescope once again, Asuna fixated her view to Perseus, southeast of Cassiopeia. Perseus was the saviour and husband of Andromeda, daughter of Cassiopeia, after Cassiopeia and the King attempted to avoid Poseidon's wrath for Cassiopeia's boasting by sacrificing their daughter. Cassiopeia Kingdom's King Cepheus shared his name with the real Cassiopeia's husband, the King of Ethiopia. The constellations Cepheus and Andromeda lay north and south of Cassiopeia. Despite all the trouble, the mythological family was still together until this day thought Asuna as she accurately plotted their locations onto her charts.

Feeling exhaustion wash over her, Asuna decided to take a break after working some hours into the night. Yawning, she nestled onto the spongy grass as she slowly surrendered herself to sleep.

Asuna awoke with a start. Eyes wide and alert, she unsheathed the two daggers strapped to each thigh from the side-splits in her silken dress, removing her robe for easier movement, as soon as she was on her feet. Naturally assuming a feline crouch, she stood with her feet apart and her dagger-armed hands positioned to defend. Her eyes darted across the shadows in the forest she had passed through not long ago for the source of the loud noise. Closing her eyes, Asuna diverted her concentration to sound. Hearing a muffled thumping sound close by, she decided to confront the source. She darted into the forest, pupils dilating to adapt to the darkness as she stepped cautiously to ensure that whatever it was wouldn't hear her coming.

As she neared a clearing, Asuna ducked into a patch of thick foliage for cover. The source of the thumping was right ahead of her now. She could hear some harsh coughing and gasping. Asuna could feel her heart beating in her ears. Her eyes widened even more as a gurgled scream rang in her ears. Her hands tightened their grip on the daggers; Asuna's knuckles were white. Pushing back her fear, she gathered the courage to peek out from behind a leaf. In the centre of the clearing was a person keeled over and coughing up copious amounts of blood, hands clutching helplessly at their throat.

Asuna hastened to the stranger's side and positioned them on their back. She sheathed her daggers onto her thighs then abruptly sent a powerful blow to the choker's stomach. Five dark seeds soared out of the stranger's mouth along with some crimson beads of blood, some if it splattering on her dress and exposed chest at which she grimaced but made no comment.

Sighing in relief, Asuna slumped against a nearby tree and let her gaze wander to the recovering stranger whose yellow shirt-clad back was to her. He was definitely a teenager, if his lean yet gangly form was anything to go by. His head of raven waves shook as he coughed violently on his knees, supporting himself with his hands. Black cargo shorts and boots clothed his lower half. Asuna's eyes rested upon the cowboy hat attached to his neck by strings, even in the limited light she could tell that it was coloured a most horrendous and outrageous shade of orange. Unconsciously, her lips curved up into a smile as her shoulders shook with laughter, its melodic sound filling the cool night air and catching the attention of the outlandishly dressed young man.

Asuna took in his features as he turned to her with a scowl, making her laugh harder. Her sharp eyes noted the generously lashed onyx eyes and sculpted eyebrows above freckle splattered cheeks and a defined nose. He was handsome, Asuna thought, but revoked that thought as soon as his scowl turned feral. Asuna's honey-coloured eyes narrowed, her smile instantly turning into a thin line as she felt the atmosphere change around her. The tension was as tangible as the hostility she could sense coming from the now red-faced stranger. She went to unsheathe her daggers but was too slow. In a blur, she found herself pinned to the tree behind her. His forearm across her collarbone and his knee quite painfully lodged in her abdomen with one of her own daggers at her throat, leaving Asuna winded from the impact. A small cry of pain escaped her pale lips.

"What do you want?" he growled out, moving the dagger threateningly close to her jugular vein. Asuna hissed. His dark eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What do **I** want? Is that how you show gratitude to your saviour?"

"I didn't need help. Now, what do you want?"

Asuna rolled her eyes. "I **want** you to get off of me, that's what!" His eyes, if possible, darkened even more at her tone.

He pressed the cold metal of the dagger firmly onto the delicate skin of Asuna's neck."Unlikely. Where's the nearest town?"

"Get off of me first", Asuna growled through gritted teeth, "then, maybe I'll tell you or even be courteous enough to escort you there". Asuna watched a look of indecisiveness flick across those onyx eyes before he gave a nod of consent. Slowly, she felt his hold on her slacken and his shoulders relax as he stepped back. Even in the dark, Asuna could make out the pink colour on his cheeks. To her astonishment he bowed deeply in an odd fashion, muttering his apologies awkwardly. Unused to such formality directed towards her, Asuna patted him on his back whilst telling him it wasn't a problem at all and that he could stop bowing now.

"You foolishly ate fruit from a Sapodilla tree, they have hooked seeds and dry out the mouth", she said conversationally, glad to be out of that painful position. "Speaking of which, are you thirsty?"

"Yeah, and hungry, do you know where I could find something to eat?" he asked, sheepishly raking his fingers through his raven locks his intense gaze switching to her. "Oh, uh, sorry" he muttered as he returned the dagger. Asuna swiftly sheathed it by her thigh, noticing how the pink tinge on his cheeks intensified as his eyes followed her movements to the high split in her dress.

"I can help but first I need to get my belongings. Follow me" she said as she dusted herself off and began leading the way back to the clearing on the cliff. Asuna could hear the almost silent padding of his boots along with hers as they walked.

"I'm Ace, by the way" he offered, scratching his head.

"Asuna," she replied swiftly, not turning her head from the clearing up ahead, "I've never heard a name like that before, nor have I ever seen such weird clothing. You're not from here, are you?"

"No, I'm from Goa"

"Mm, that makes sense. Very well", she clasped her hands together as she turned to face Ace, "welcome to Cassiopeia Kingdom, East Blue's largest island" she said with a grin and a wide gesture as they entered the clearing. Ace watched as Asuna hastily packed up her telescope into her bag and swung it over her shoulder. "Ready? We're going north from here, towards the cottage my father and I live in. I think we should be able to make it there before sunrise if up to it in your condition" she said, consulting the leather watch on her wrist.

"I'll be fine. So, you're an astronomer?"

"Not quite, I'm not qualified as one but I believe I'm no less knowledgeable than the students of Cassiopeia's finest schools" she responded as they made their way back to the cottage, "in Cassiopeia it is seen as unbefitting for women to study."

"That's ridiculous-" he began.

"I know. But it doesn't matter, there is only one university on this island and it is reserved for the nobles of the island or the wealthier common folk of Cassiopeia. Even if women could study, I wouldn't be able to because of our financial conditions" she explained with her gaze on the forest floor, extremely aware of the sympathetic look his intense eyes aimed at her. "We're here".

Ace looked ahead to the partially moss-covered cottage as they entered the front yard through a small wooden gate, watching patiently as Asuna retrieved a key from behind a plant pot on the window then unlocked the door. He was surprised at the wide interior of the cottage; his gaze raked over the plain walls of what he supposed was the living room. Towards the left there was a simple open-plan kitchen and a wooden table that would seat no more than four. His eyes returned to Asuna's slim form as she bustled about the kitchen to fix him something to eat. Ace could make out the contractions of the muscles in her back through the thin navy blue material of her dress as her chestnut brown waves spilled over her shoulder with movement. He had to force himself to direct his gaze elsewhere as he felt the heat rise to his cheeks.

After a while, Asuna set down a generously proportioned plate of steaming rice and lamb in front of Ace. The heavenly aroma of herbs and meat had him drooling. Asuna grinned widely as she took a seat opposite him at the table after placing a jug of water and a cup at his side. Her eyes shone in amusement as he practically inhaled the food within a few seconds. With one of her melodic laughs, Asuna promptly stocked his plate with seconds and plated the rest of the food she had cooked, only for it to be devoured in a similar fashion.

"Though Goa Kingdom is close, I still don't understand how you ended up here. Where is your family and how did you manage to get onto this island. The coasts of Cassiopeia are lined by cliffs, the only way to get onto the island is by the canal that runs through the capital, Cassia, from the sea but that is strictly monitored by the Royal Army", Asuna inquired as she cleaned away the dishes. Ace had halfheartedly offered to help but she waved him off, he seemed to be far too occupied slumping in his chair and rubbing his stomach with a blissful expression on his face.

"Mm? Well, I left Goa about a week ago then my boat got caught up in a storm and got wrecked on some rocks near the coast, here. I couldn't find any low ground so I climbed up the cliff. I got hungry and ate one of those weird fruits then started choking, that's when you found me. What were you doing there alone?"

"Like you said, I'm an astronomer, qualified or otherwise. I was drawing up some star-charts and maps", Asuna answered as she slipped back in to her seat. Pulling her bag towards herself, she got out some maps and charts to show him. She watched carefully as Ace's calculating eyes examined her work.

"These are- they're amazing, you have a good hand" he commented, running his fingers over the thick paper with his eyes still admiring her handiwork. Asuna sighed in relief, she did not know why but she found herself wanting the approval of someone she hardly knew.

"So, why are you travelling alone?" Asuna observed the painfully wide grin that graced his features in response and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I'm a pirate!"

Try as she might, Asuna could not suppress the small smile that curved her lips. She couldn't help it; the happiness he exuded from uttering that short sentence was contagious.

"Where's your ship? Your crew?" she questioned playfully with a small chuckle. She laughed even more when his dark brows knitted together and his lips pressed into a thin line in a determined expression.

"I don't have a ship or a crew yet, but I'll have a navigator very soon", he gestured to her. Asuna quirked a brow in incredulity.

"Baka! I said I was an astronomer not a navigator! Why would I become a pirate? I have a safe home and a father to look after."

"These maps- you must at least know some astronavigation or you could learn, we wouldn't even need a compass, your calculations here would allow us determine our location and course by simply counting stars" he said, his eyes never leaving her intricate maps and charts.

"That may be true but I have a life here, in Cassiopeia. Just because you found it so easy to leave home for the high seas does not mean everyone will be just as willing."

"You will join my crew. You will be my astronavigator" he concluded. Asuna scoffed at the certainty in which he declared her future.

It was sunrise. Golden rays spilt through the gaps in the curtains, painting the room with a celestial glow. Asuna rested her head on her palm, observing how his callused fingers gently appraised her work. The pair sat in comfortable silence until it was broken by Ace's yawn.

"Come, you must be tired after your journey, you can sleep in my room", Asuna motioned for him to follow.

Doing as he was told, Ace trailed closely behind the swishing of Asuna's dress as she led the way up the stairs to a small room on the right. The walls were lined with shelves full of books, skimming the spines of the books Ace found titles ranging from astronomy and navigation to medicine and poetry. There was a large telescope set up in front of one of the windows and a desk littered in pages of intricate diagrams. Asuna directed him to a small bed in the corner with soft blue bedsheets then promptly left on the account of making breakfast for her father who would be back from working his night shift, guarding the capital city.

Ace removed his shirt and shoes, placing his hat on the nightstand as he made himself comfortable. He nestled into the soft blue material, noting how it smelt of Asuna, like the pages of a book and something sweet. In no time at all he could feel the fogginess of sleep begin to cloud his mind, he was surprised his narcolepsy hadn't already taken control. Gradually and gladly, Ace fell asleep.

After preparing her father's breakfast and explaining the teenage boy who was currently sound asleep in her bed, Asuna relaxed her muscles beneath a stream of hot water in the shower. Sighing contentedly, she tangled her fingers into her mahogany roots, massaging her scalp in an attempt to push back the migraine she was developing from the lack of sleep. Basking in the wet warmth for as long as she could, she reluctantly stepped out of the shower to dry up and put on the fresh set of clothes she managed to sneak out of her cupboard without waking up Ace. She slipped on a sleeveless oriental dress that went just above her knees with a high neck, strapping a leather dagger-sheathe to each thigh. She polished her daggers, returning them to their places by her toned thighs beneath the side-slitted black silk. Her slim hands moved to fasten the golden buttons along her chest and neck then down again to smooth out the fabric across her flat abdomen. Switching her attention to her hair, Asuna pulled the now dry waves into a braid down her back, a few loose strands of hazel framing her face.

She re-entered her bedroom to find Ace still peacefully snoring, a snot bubble inflating and deflating simultaneously with the rise and fall of his chest. Suppressing the laugh that was surely forcing its way up her throat, she quickly slipped on a pair of low black heels and a dark silken robe, tying it at her waist on her way out of the room. After scoffing down her own breakfast she walked speedily to Liscia's town centre, waving and smiling to the few locals who greeted her good morning.

Once at the town's centre her ears were assaulted by the sounds of the lively market: the persuasive yells of merchants; the playful shrieks and giggles of children; the soft chattering of women; the sweet symphonies of the violin-playing buskers. Asuna allowed the infectious atmosphere to wash over her, deeply inhaling the floral scents of a flower stall nearby as she expertly weaved her way through the crowds of shoppers. Liscia was not grand like Cassia, nor did it boast anything like Cassia's great Zuexo Mall, but it had charm. The charm that only a run-down and over-populated town could have. Cutting through a narrow alleyway, she allowed her body to lead the familiar route to the Army's HQ as her thoughts drifted to the head of thick raven locks snuggled in her pillow. Asuna scoffed. She remembered clearly the certainty with which he had claimed her as his navigator. Maybe it was because she found his bizarre manner amusing or maybe it was because she liked the way his dark hair and eyes appeared a deep brown in the morning light, as if the black shade in any other lighting was some sort of ruse for everyone aside from her. Whatever the reason, a part of her believed his words whilst the other part of herself wanted to. Asuna was intrigued and gravitated to his presence. Later she would talk to him some more but for now she would concentrate on her forte: intelligence.

Though only men were permitted to join the Royal Army, there were many females like Asuna who worked in the intelligence sector, gathering information on underground movements or operations as plain agents and occasionally assassinating an unsuspecting drug lord. Most assassination jobs were reserved for the older women; it sometimes required a trip to the bedroom to make a man bleed. Ensuring she was not tailed, Asuna entered the small dingy pub to her left. She was regrettably confronted by the smell of stale urine and alcohol, her face contorting into a look of pure disgust. Covering her mouth and nose with her forearm, Asuna hurriedly made her way to the back door of the practically empty bar as she tried to beat down the urge to gag. Or vomit. She understood perfectly that secrecy and anonymity was a vital part of her organisation but, seriously, was that horrid bar a necessary means of concealing HQ?

Gladly, she exited into a small courtyard and nimbly scaled the opposite wall, her black sleeveless robe flowing behind her. Once atop the three-story building she swiftly descended down into the bowels of the bricked edifice, towards the intelligence director's office, ready for the tedious hours of work.

Asuna was unenthusiastically greeted by her boss with a feeble gesture to take a seat. Obediently, she settled herself in to a leather chair in front of his desk. Her sharp eyes did not miss the dark circles beneath his usually alert grey ones, nor did she overlook the seemingly deeper wrinkles lining his pale face. Augustus Wren, was a greying man of steel, literally, he wielded the Suchīru Suchīru no Mi. His steel-coloured hair and angular features just served to emphasize it. He was a taciturn man in general, always curt with Asuna and only speaking when absolutely necessary. Despite his lacking sociability, Asuna found this mysterious old man to be highly trustworthy and reliable. Her thoughts were soon cut short by the entry of her azure-haired partner, Vienna, who swiftly took her place in the chair next to Asuna.

"You're late" Wren stated in his gravelly voice, hardly raising his head from his report littered desk.

"My apologies, sir, I-", the older woman was silenced by a arthritic hand.

"I have an important job for you two". Both Asuna and Vienna turned their gazes to the grave expression etched into the intelligence director's face; warm gold and sky blue meeting with steely grey.

xxx

Ace arose to the sound of wood clashing against wood. He squinted as he sat up to look around the cluttered room for the source of the racket. Finding the room to be empty, he reluctantly crawled out of the warm bed and went to explore.

Following the noise, he made his way downstairs towards what appeared to be a door to the back yard. His nose was met by the scent of fresh grass as he raised a forearm to block the sunlight from his eyes. A well-built man was training beneath the baking midday sun, his bokken repeatedly striking a wooden post in precise, practiced motions. Ace observed the flexing muscles of the older man's arms and the flawless technique with which he executed each powerful blow. He smiled nostalgically, somehow this man's extraordinary strength despite his evidently old age reminded Ace of a certain ape-faced, head-thwarting marine.

"Young man," the man huffed between strikes, "are you going to stand there all day smiling like an idiot or will you introduce yourself?"

Ace could feel the heat crawling up his neck and cheeks as he jolted in surprise from being addressed. Hastily, he walked towards the ageing man and bowed deeply, remembering what Makino had taught him about manners.

"Thank you, sir, for letting me stay here", Ace felt a warm hand gently pat his back, indicating that he could straighten himself. "I'm Ace. It's nice to meet you, sir. You must be Asuna's father."

"Indeed, I am. Please, call me Vernados" he replied in his hoarse voice, shaking Ace's outstretched hand firmly.

"Your very skilled, sir. I'm surprised that post has withstood your strikes so far" Ace complimented, his dark eyes assessing the unmarred timbered post.

"Thank you, though I doubt that post will collapse any time soon" he chuckled, fingers running through his greying head of shoulder-length hair. "It is made of Adam wood, the most durable in the world. But enough about that. Do you fight, boy? It would be nice to have a sparring partner when Asuna isn't around". Ace smirked at the implicit challenge. It'd been awhile since he'd last fought or trained. He accepted the offer, selecting a sturdy Bo staff that seemed to be of the same wood as the resilient post.

Feet apart, Ace positioned himself to attack, his Bo staff held tightly in both hands. He charged at the grinning elder, aiming a powerful swing at his balding head only for the end of his staff to meet air. "Too slow", Ace heard Vernados comment from behind him, "they used to call me 'The Lightening God', as fast as light, my opponent would never see me coming. Or leaving. You'll have try a lot harder if you want to lay blow on me and-", he knocked an unaware Ace into a tree a few metres away in one fluid swing, "pay more attention, boy".

A deep, frustrated growl escaped Ace's throat. He had not expected such agility from the geezer. Ace prided himself in never running away from a fight or losing one. He was not prepared to tarnish that record now. Dusting himself off, he picked up his staff and reassumed his offensive stance, this time ensuring he kept track of his target's location. With a vicious snarl, Ace lunged at his opponent again only to have his strikes dodged. He lunged again and again at where he thought Vernados was, but was unsuccessful. Ace clicked his teeth in annoyance. He was moving as fast as he could and putting all of his power into each swing but the old-timer kept dodging them like nothing.

"Stop dodging me!"

Vernados chuckled. "Fine, fine,I'll stop."

Ace lunged once again but this time his blow was intercepted, the force of the collision ringing in the air around them. In a blur, he was smashed into the same tree, fracturing it down it's wooden middle. He could feel his head spinning from the impact, the metallic taste of blood on his tongue.

"Stop looking and starting feeling, you rely too greatly on seeing your opponent, sometimes you will have opponents you cannot see. Then, what will you do?" Ace grabbed the hand Vernados offered him, his mind racing miles an hour with what Vernados said. An opponent he couldn't see? Was that possible? Vernados must have seen the puzzled expression on his face as he called for a break so he could take a look at Ace's injuries.

"I'll explain whilst I fix you up. I believe it is time for lunch" the veteran said, patting Ace firmly on the back.

After another mouthwatering meal and 10 arduous minutes of the old man prodding at Ace's injuries, they returned to training. Vernados had asked if Ace was familiar with devil fruits, to which he gave an affirmative answer, the elder then went on to explain the Logia branch of devil fruits. Vernados told him about how Logia users could turn their bodies into a natural element or force of nature, making it impossible to hit them. Vernados gave the example of a smoke logia user. Say this user were to disperse using their ability, he would not be able to see the user's smoke-propelled fist come towards him amongst all that smoke. Though it is impossible to hit a logia, Vernados said, Ace could at least dodge their attacks but first he would have to see them coming. As their first spar showed, he could not fully rely on sight in a battle, especially if his opponent was as fast as Vernados. He would have to rely on sense. So with this newly found motive, Ace took his place opposite Vernados, Bo staff in hand and a blindfold covering his eyes.

They trained for hours, how many Ace did not know. When Vernados was satisfied with his fighting skills without relying on sight, he removed his blindfold to find Asuna in the kitchen preparing dinner and the sky already a dark shade of blue. After showering (Asuna insisted), Ace and Vernados joined Asuna at the lavishly set table. Ace could hardly restrain his urge to drool; the table was set with dishes varying from ramen and meat to egg-fried rice and more meat, not to mention the heavenly smell of herbs and spices wafting in the air. With identical wild expressions, Ace and Vernados devoured their dinner, taking part in polite dinner table discourse in between mouthfuls.

"Sho haw wosh wak torray?" Vernados inquired, chomping into chicken leg.

Asuna quirked a brow. Her father wasn't usually this boisterous in his manner, she had a feeling that Ace had something to do with it but let it slide. "Now that you mention it, I'll be working tonight. Wren wants Vienna and I to gather some information on a camp of travellers towards the east coast". Asuna watched as a worried frown set into her father's face. "Don't worry, we'll be fine, father", she smiled reassuringly.

"I know, but weren't there any other people who could do this job? It seems unlike Wren to send you girls out on a job that could turn nasty. I heard the camp belonged to a group of ruffians from Giascia". Giascia was a poor settlement of factory workers, east of Cassia. The residents were known to be illiterate and hostile country folk, the rednecks of Cassiopeia.

Joining the thread of conversation after demolishing the remaining food, Ace asked what Asuna did for living. "I'm an intelligence agent. I scout and tail people suspected of serious crimes". He raised his brows in surprise but made no comment.

Vernados chuckled. "I'll clean up since I'm not working tonight so you can go ahead. I think this young man and I are going to clean out the spare bedroom so you can have your bed back". Ace nodded in agreement.

Asuna smiled. Her father seemed to already be quite fond of Ace and she could tell Ace liked her father too. "Have fun, then". With that she retreated to her room. She quickly changed out of her dress and into a black turtle-necked top and trousers, tucking the ends into her boots. She slipped on a black hooded robe, pulling the hood low to shadow her face. Lastly, she replaced her daggers and sheathes before heading out into the darkness.

xxx

Stealthily, two dark figures raced across the forested expanse, their direction northeast. They expertly dodged trees and branches with practiced ease. A melodic laugh echoed into the night.

"What part of _'shut up'_ do you not understand?" hissed Vienna, her aquamarine hair hidden beneath a dark hood.

"I'm sorry", Asuna chuckled, "I just feel so... alive! Don't you feel it, too?"

"**No**. See this is why they never let kids like you do the important stuff and because I'm stuck with a bratty 17-year-old I never get the good jobs too" the older woman breathed vehemently as they both slowed down, sighting their destination a few yards away.

Following her partner's lead, Asuna ducked low as she crept towards the hillside up ahead. If Wren's information was correct, there would be a valley on the other side of this hill where the suspected bandits were camped out. There were suspicions of a revolt from these Giascian rogues on top of rumoured robberies and sexual assaults. Asuna and Vienna's jobs were to investigate into these claims and, if necessary, spill some blood. Wren had expressly forbidden them from going into the valley, though Asuna and Vienna were both competent fighters, there was no way they could handle the estimated 200 bandits if things did happen to get ugly. In; listen; watch; out. Those were their orders. Once near the peak of the hill, they both settled themselves onto their stomachs, crawling forward ever so slightly so they could see down into the valley. Simultaneously, the girls tugged their hoods lower to blend into the darkness as they both pulled out binoculars to see better.

The valley ran deep; a small stream dissected the terrain of lush green. What looked to be around a hundred tents were scattered around the edges, their pointed roofs casting sinister shadows in the light of numerous camp fires. Drunken men populated the campsite, their raucous singing and obscene yells infecting the air. Asuna scrunched her nose at the foul mixture of excrement, urine, booze and sweat that wafted in the cool night breeze. She could sense the distasteful grimace that was also gracing her partner's ivory face.

"Gross."

"I know. Maybe Wren was confused, these drunk bigots can't be planning a revolt" she whispered in reply, amber eyes narrowing skeptically.

"They may not be guilty of treason, but they're sure as hell guilty of filthiness" Vienna spat, covering her nose with a gloved hand.

Asuna's retort was swiftly cut off as Vienna signalled her to be silent, pointing towards a group of horse-pulled caravans entering the valley. A short, beefy man stepped out of the first caravan, greeting the accumulating crowd with a hand of stubby fingers, the his boisterous laugh visibly reverberating through his enormous stomach. More men, bandits and rogues alike, streamed out the carriages, pulling along shackled people with sacks tied over their heads. The clinking of their bindings a forgotten sound beneath the loud banter and guffaws of the foul men. Asuna felt sick. She did not know what exactly was going on but the sight of the masked and shackled people was nauseating enough. Their ragged blood-stained clothes hung off their bodies limply, the tell tale signs of malnutrition apparent from their protruding bones. Bloody and bruised shoeless feet dragged across the vegetation, staining the fresh green with gruesome red. Some of the cloaked heads were attached to small bodies, like that of a child. Others were tall, their inhuman thinness in conjunction with their height, creating ghoulish shadows. The stubby-fingered man who appeared to be the leader stepped forward, drawing everyone's attention.

"My men! Please, let your eyes take in this sight: 120 slaves. They're all ours and once we sell them we'll have all the money in the world to buy booze and ladies alike". Howls of laughter and wolf-whistles escaped the crowd at the prospect of more intoxication and prostitutes. Asuna could see Vienna stiffen and grit her teeth at the sight. "But, alas, we have slaves but we'd never be able to ship them or any of the other lots we had without help. Our generous benefactor has come tonight to meet you all", the crowd roared in excitement, "Please, welcome his royal highness, Prince Argo!"

Asuna could feel the blood drain from her face. She wanted to turn to Vienna to check if she had heard right but couldn't remove her eyes from the pointed face of their Prince. His poker-straight lilac hair swished about his shoulders as he interacted with the rednecks, a tight smile stretched across his angular features. He was followed out of the carriage by the Commander of the Royal Army, Gituku Baz, a well-built man with hair as black as night. Asuna was at ends. These two men, both notable figures of power in Cassiopeia, were involved in trafficking slaves from their own country. Her thoughts were interrupted by a fierce tug on her sleeve; Asuna tore her unbelieving gaze from the valley to her partner's livid face. Vienna gestured for them to retreat but Asuna was not going to budge.

"Asuna, let's go", she hissed, "this out of our hands. This is no longer a child's game."

"No, I can't. Cassiopeia's people trust them- my father worships Commander Baz! We have to-"

"Hey, look! Up there!" Asuna froze. The voice did not come from the mouth of her partner but from below. She instantly felt hundreds of eyes turn to their perch on the hillside, the most notable of them Prince Argo's narrowed lilac ones.

"Get them!" was the gruff order of the lavender prince.

Swift on their feet, both Asuna and Vienna sped down the hill, Asuna unsheathing her daggers as Vienna adjusted her bow with an arrow. Surprisingly, the drunken bigots were fast on their feet and were gradually catching up to the girls.

"Oh fuck, this your fault" Vienna gritted out, "we're not gonna be able to get back to Liscia with these idiots tailing us. Cover me, we'll get rid of them then run."

Following her orders, Asuna got into an offensive stance in front of Vienna. Like always, Asuna would handle the close combat whilst Vienna would take out the enemies that were out of range with her remarkable aim. Asuna cleanly slashed two men who attempted to lunge at her, leaving a deep gash along both of their torsos. She charged forward, daggers in a reversed grip, slicing her fleshy obstacles with ease. Using her victims as leverage, she leapt onto their chests and shoulders like steppingstones after cutting them down. She gracefully dodged and sliced like clockwork, a ballerina of the battlefield. Her artful lacerations decorated their filthy skin, blood trailing after her daggers like the red ribbons of a rhythmic gymnast. Behind her Vienna skilfully loaded and fired arrows at lightening speed, taking enemies out with an arrow to the heart. Or jugular. In unison, they managed to effectively cut down the numbers. With a decisive dip of the head, Vienna motioned for them to retreat. They ran away, from the slaves and from Argo, into the darkness ahead.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! This is the second chapter of AoS. I wanna thank i88 for the review, I have stopped the song inserts and have removed them from the first chapter at your request but I have left some "xxx" for the sake of sectioning when there's an abrupt change of scene/time/perspective (I screamed when I found out my first review EVER was from the writer of Aethere Lapsum). Please review! I want to know what you want so I can write something you'll enjoy reading! Oh- please pardon any OOC-ness or mistakes. Until next time..**

**Disclaimer: The world of One Piece and canon characters belong to Eiichiro Oda, I only claim my OCs and Cassiopeia Kingdom.**

Asuna stirred into consciousness with a groan, the cloudiness of sleep clearing away to the sight of her sun-drenched bedroom. Her head throbbed painfully as if someone were repeatedly hammering against her temples. Asuna's thoughts soon returned to the night before. Prince Argo and Baz; slave-traffickers. So many people put their faith in these men for justice when the whole time they, themselves, were unjust. Is this what the world had come to? A country unable to trust their leaders? Asuna had good mind to link these slaves to the numerous cases of missing people from Giascia, she had once come across these reports of hundreds disappearing with out explanation. The question that lingered in her mind was what exactly was in this slave trading industry for Argo and Baz. Surely it was not money; they both had lots of it. Then what?

A frustrated sigh escaped Asuna's mouth. She wished she could forget about it all and leave it in the hands of someone more experienced like Wren but, alas, she had a promise to keep. Once they had returned to Liscia safely last night, Vienna expressly told her not to breathe a word to anyone. The situation was far graver than they had made it out to be. Vienna said that they would delay their report back to Wren until she thought things through. As a result, Asuna was left with an order to not go anywhere near HQ until Vienna told her and to not act in the least bit suspicious. She had full confidence in Vienna and, therefore, would obey her orders. Besides, dwelling on last night was not helping her growing migraine; she needed a distraction. Her thoughts flickered to the perfect black-haired, freckled distraction.

Jumping out bed, Asuna quickly showered and clothed herself in a floor-length dress, the same old oriental neckline and side-splits up her legs. The burgundy material was covered with floral embroidery around her hips and narrow waist. Once her daggers were in place and her hair dried into waves, she went to the spare bedroom with the intention of waking Ace. Asuna had decided that since she had a free day and had to keep her distance from HQ she would show Ace some of the other towns in Cassiopeia. Finding the bedroom empty, Asuna followed the smell of bacon frying with the knowledge that Ace was bound to be wherever the food was. To her surprise, the raven-haired teen was standing at the stove cooking breakfast. He was wearing one of her father's old robes with his black cargo pants and that atrocious orange hat, leaving his toned chest exposed. Asuna slipped into a seat at the table, watching the practiced movements with which he cooked. She was greeted good morning with a sheepish grin from Ace as he set the table with food.

"I didn't think you could cook."

"I kind of had to learn how to, with how I grew up. Besides, you got back late yesterday so I thought I'd make breakfast" he replied, taking a seat opposite her.

Asuna grinned. She could see faint blush beneath those charming freckles. "I wanted to show you the capital today, if that's alright with you?" Ace nodded eagerly in reply. Swiftly, they finished their breakfast and cleaned up. Asuna led Ace to a stable at the side of the house.

Ace had not noticed the stable or the powerfully legged stallion within it before. The steed ground it's hooves and flicked its silvery mane aggressively. Ace doubted such a fierce horse would allow someone to ride it but he was soon proved wrong as it patiently let Asuna saddle it up.

"This is Kei. We're gonna use him to get to Nadara, a small town on Cassia's outskirts then we'll walk from there because there's a pricey horse tax in the capital" she said, patting the secured saddle firmly. "Have you ever ridden horseback?"

Ace gave an answer in the negative, there were no horses in Foosha village. Asuna motioned for him to follow her lead as she mounted the steed in one fluid movement. He let his gaze momentarily linger on the skin of her now fully exposed thigh before joining her on the horse. Ace could feel the heat instantly rise to his cheeks; his front was now completely pressed against her from legs to chest. It felt odd being in such close contact, he could feel her body heat through the thin material of her dress.

"You ready?", he could feel her words reverberating through her back. Ace gulped. This was going to be difficult journey. "You need to hold the reins, like this", her slim hands moved his callused ones around her waist to the leather reins of the horse. For the sake of comfort Ace placed his chin onto her shoulder, instantly regretting that decision as soon as he breathed in the sweet scent of honey from her hair.

They set off to Nadara. Asuna had said that it would take about an hour to get there by horse, so they should make it there by 11 o'clock. Ace was regretting ever agreeing to this. The physical contact was bad enough when the were still but once the horse got moving... Oh God. This honey scented girl was going to be the death of him. The friction was unbearable. Ace was a 17-year-old with raging hormones, what else was there to be expected? Luckily, the coiling in the pit of his abdomen never formulated into anything too physical. But that did not prevent the feelings and thoughts he was having or in anyway lessen the heat burning his cheeks. Needless to say, he was on fire.

Turning his attention from brunette, he took in the scenery flashing past his eyes. Cassiopeia was almost as timbered as Goa. The refreshing smell of trees and the cool wind rushing past him was more than enough for him to relax, pushing any tempting thoughts from his mind. The comforting sounds of nature accompanied by the steady clattering of Kei's hooves. It was almost as if he had never left Goa Kingdom; the Cassiopeian forest was highly reminiscent of the jungly expanse on the outskirts of Foosha. All that was missing was the effervescent laugh of a certain strawhat-wearing kid. Ace sighed. It wasn't like he wasn't going to see the kid again, they would undoubtedly meet in due time as notorious pirates, but he couldn't help but feel as if something was missing. Ace was abruptly snapped out of his thoughts as they slowed down, he could see Nadara in the distance. Once at the village, they unmounted at a stable. Asuna paid the owner a few beli to take care of Kei and they were off. Ace followed the padding of Asuna's boots as she led the way through the village with familiarity.

"Nadara is home to Cassiopeia's best craftsmen and blacksmiths" Asuna explained over the clinking of hammers and roars of fires as they passed by some forges packed with blacksmiths. She led the way to a back alley, entering a small sword shop with Ace fast at her heels. Asuna consulted the shop owner about getting her daggers sharpened then went to join Ace, who was admiring a green antique dagger, whilst she waited.

"You like it?"

"Mm? Yeah. But I haven't got any money" he said abashedly, running his fingers through his dark locks, a habit Asuna had come to recognise as something he did when he was thinking.

"If you want it, I'll buy it-"

"No, no. You and your father have already been too generous. I'm already in your debt" he declined profusely.

"You can pay me back when you're a filthy rich pirate" she teased, taking the dagger from his hands and to the counter to pay.

As soon as her daggers were ready they both left the shop armed with razor-sharp blades. They continued on their journey by foot, following the muddy footpath to Cassia. On the way Asuna politely questioned Ace about his life in Goa Kingdom, she was surprised to find he had a little brother. He told her about Luffy and his absurd manner; explaining how he got his Gomu Gomu no Mi and his prized straw hat. Asuna was not so much intrigued by the funny tales of this seemingly silly rubber boy, but intrigued by the way Ace told her these stories. The way his eyes lit up as he spoke animatedly and laughed at old memories made Asuna smile. It must be nice to have a sibling, something Asuna had not had the pleasure of experiencing as an only child. Her mother had died at child birth and her father was too reluctant to move on.

They spent the rest of their day entertaining each other with stories and some polite banter as they explored the granite cobbles of Cassia. They visited the Zuexo Mall and some other attractions, deciding to eat at a pub at the city's edge before leaving for Nadara.

It was a small pub with far more occupants than it could acquire. An utmost contrast to the dingy pub that led to HQ with its glossy surfaces and mint-scented furniture, a contrast Asuna was glad for. They settled themselves at a table towards the back of the dim pub, the sound of jazz music muffled beneath the idle chattering of that evenings customers. They waited patiently, in a comfortable silence, after ordering their meals. Asuna rested her head on her palm, her gaze on Ace as he put on his new purchases: a red, beaded necklace and a red and white bracelet. A small smile crept onto her face as she watched the way he admired his new accessories, flexing his wrist and adjusting his beads. His dark gaze flicked up to meet hers, the corners of his eyes creasing as he returned a soft smile. Asuna found herself laughing without reason for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day. She could not help it, his mere presence had her smiling within itself.

"So what do you think of Cassiopeia?" Asuna asked cordially.

"I think it's quite a pleasant island" he replied, mocking the accent of pompous noble they had crossed paths with earlier. Asuna chuckled. "Is there a place where I could send this off?" he queried, gesturing to a red button-up vest they had bought for his little brother.

"Mm, there's a shipping firm in Nadara for transporting local crafts to neighbouring islands. I'm sure they'll have a shipment to Goa that you can put that with, we can check them out later."

After eating their fill, Asuna and Ace made their way back to Nadara to send off the garment then collected Kei from the sour-faced owner. Apparently, Kei had kicked down the barn door with his powerful legs and almost trampled the man's wife. A few minutes of profusive apologies later, they set out for Liscia, the light of the abundant stars guiding them home.

xxx

The night was cloudless. Vienna could see the glistening stars clearly from her perch atop Liscia's ancient courthouse. She breathed deeply, allowing the cool night air to soothe her. Shoulder-length locks brushed past her cheeks, strands of azure occasionally blocking her view only to be swept back by a pale hand.

She closed her eyes, giving them their long-awaited respite. She was not sleeping well, the dark circles beneath her eyes serving as a testimony to her restlessness. There were so many things on her mind that she could not bring herself to sift through. Political immorality was not something most 27-year-old women had to deal with. She could only ask herself 'what would Wren do?' But, alas, she was not Wren, nor did she have a clue what the metal-headed man would do. Her ice-blue gaze flickered from the deserted streets to the glittering expanse above her. Asuna always told her about the beautiful stars she had sighted through that perceptive telescope of hers and how the night would not be complete without them. Vienna couldn't help but disagree, the stars were beautiful, indeed, but even in their abundance they would never out shine the moon. It's luminous presence a significant part of the night.

She expelled the cold air from her parted lips. Maybe if she got some sleep would her thoughts, then, become decipherable. Stretching her tired muscles, she stood up with the intention of giving her empty bed another chance. Agilely, she leapt from rooftop to rooftop with the swiftness an intelligence agent was bred with. A mere shadow of the night; the muffled padding of her feet and the swishing of her cloak the only giveaways. Once atop her apartment block she scampered down the pipes on the side of the building, skilfully swinging through the open window of her bedroom. Vienna made her way to the bathroom, unaware of the second shadow casted across the room's timbered floor.

After washing up, she slipped on a soft nightgown and clambered into bed. With a serene smile, she welcomed the cozy warmth, feeling the numbing fog of sleep begin to steal away her consciousness. A sudden redirection of wind abruptly cleared the fog away; Vienna could feel a heavy weight of on her hips. The stolen pieces of consciousness were returned; her vision came into focus, the shadowed form of the person straddling her becoming apparent. Vienna impulsively reached for her bow and arrow, only for her frantic fingers to meet the cool plain surface of her nightstand.

"Looking for this?" The shadow had a voice. Her prized weapon was clutched firmly in those dark hands, the arrow adjusted and aimed at point-blank range to her heart. A silent cry was sent to the heavens.

Struggle she did but it did not in any way lessen the pain in her chest, nor did it prevent the crimson fluid from marring the satin ivory of her breasts or from staining the fresh white sheets with that gruesome red. The shadow had left abruptly with no visible remorse for piercing her heart, not that she expected anything less.

Vienna was left to bleed. A violent cough and more scarlet occasionally escaped her pale lips, limp hands never slackening their grip on the traitorous arrow protruding from her chest. Slowly, she felt the numbing fog return, only of a different kind. Her consciousness was stolen once again, only this time she doubted it would ever be returned.

xxx

Merikh was an obedient man. He did as he was told and never questioned orders. As a sergeant major of the Liscian base of the Royal Army, Merikh took his role of safeguarding Liscia and it's people very seriously. So that evening when the commander of the Royal Army contacted his private den-den mushi, he was pleasantly surprised and honoured. He was surprised further by the request Commander Baz had for him that night. It was an unusual order but Merikh, being the reliable and loyal soldier he was, would do as he was told and he would do it without question.

Following Commander Baz's orders, he and some of his men walked purposefully to the small moss-covered cottage on the southern edge of Liscia. They were impeccably armed with firearms and swords, wretched hands itching for some action. Clothed in dark robes with their hoods pulled low, they approached the front door, carnage on their minds.

"Leave no one alive, men" Merikh commanded, to which his companions gave affirmative mumbles, the scent of alcohol fresh on their breath. After a splendid evening at the bar, their night was about to get a whole lot better.

With one powerful kick, the pathetic door was off its hinges. A few bullets later and all the windows were shattered, thousands of glittering shards scattered across the dark flooring as stars are scattered across a night sky. More gunshots echoed in the isolated part of town as he and his men moved deeper into the pitiful property. Merikh could feel the adrenaline pumping through his body. A muffled cry was silenced by one of his comrades bullets; metallic hints of blood wafted in the air towards him. He smirked. A feeling of satisfaction penetrated his being with every object he destroyed; the sound of gunshots and smashing glassware music to his ears.

Merikh always did as he was told and never questioned orders, always with the hope that he'd get a job like this one. With a simple flick of the wrist, Merikh dropped the match. They left the house in flames.

xxx

Asuna blinked her dry eyes. The usually warm gold appearing a dull shade of brown. She kept her gaze trained on the moving heads of people on the street below, going on about their daily lives in blissful ignorance. Her elbows were sore from leaning them on the wooden windowsill for too long. Silently, she sat there, unable to bring herself to move away from the window. She could feel Wren's piercing gaze on her, unwavering as it had been for the past two hours.

"Asuna."

"Mm?" she answered distantly, her eyes fixated on the view from the intelligence director's office.

"That's enough, now" he said firmly, "How are we supposed to fix things if you're not willing to cooperate?" Asuna tore her gaze from the window to the ageing man across the room. His hair, if possible, was greyer than usual. Dark circles, similar to her own, framed his steely eyes.

"Fix what? She's dead. We can't fix that", she choked the last bit out. She tried to push back the fresh wave of emotion coursing through her veins, but was unsuccessful. Dark patches appeared on her dress as tears trailed down her face and soaked into the brown fabric. Her shoulders shook with a powerful sob. Was it possible for so many things to happen to one person? In the early hours of the morning she and Ace had returned to the cottage after spending the night in the forest scouting stars, only to find a burnt mass. The cottage and the stable as well as the nearby trees were all incinerated. Luckily, her father was in Cassia working that night but Kei was in the stable. They searched and searched but the all they found was a charred mass of flesh that Asuna refused to accept as their horse. Everything they ever owned or loved was lost in those accursed flames. They did not know who did it but Asuna had a good idea on whose orders it was done. On top of the tragedy that had befallen them, Asuna was summoned to Wren with the news of Vienna. Her partner was found dead in her bedroom, pierced by her own weapon. The loss of her home and horse would never compare to the loss of her partner and good friend. It was futile to continue with this case anymore, the girls had hardly gotten involved and were already faced with such severe losses.

"Tell me what happened when you went to scout the camp?" Wren demanded more than asked.

"It doesn't matter anymore-", Asuna was silenced by a firm glare from Wren. She raised a hand to her trembling lips as she tried to compose herself. "We saw the Giascian outcasts with slaves. Their leader introduced their benefactor, Prince Argo. Commander Baz was there with him. They saw V-Vi- her and I, so we ran".

Asuna observed the thoughtful look that washed over her boss's features in reply to her stuttered recount, he raised an arthritic hand to run through his thinning hair. Leaning back in his chair, he removed his circular glasses and rubbed his bloodshot eyes. "Asuna, have you ever heard of human auctions?"

"No, sir."

"Living beings are sold at auction houses to be used as slaves, or something along those lines-"

"But the World Government-"

"-turns a blind eye", Wren finished her sentence. Asuna's words died in her mouth. The World Government allowed human auctioning? Weren't they the good guys?

"Immense power", Wren continued, "does not necessarily connote goodness, something you would do well to remember. As you know we, Cassiopeia, are one of the 170 or so nations that are affiliated with the World Government. So, naturally, we support their judgement or in this case their lack of judgement. What Argo and Baz are doing is not necessarily bad according to the World Government, it's simply undesirable for men of their calibre.

"My problem is not so much to do with what they do but why. I'm sure you would have noticed that money is not the motive here", Asuna nodded in response, "I have an idea of their aim but it is always better to have a second opinion. Take a look at this."

Asuna's palsied hands caught the newspaper with more difficulty than usual. She skimmed the black bold font announcing King Cepheus' deteriorating health on the front page of the Cassiopeia Daily. Slowly, the cogs within her brain began to turn. "They intend to take the throne?"

"Indeed. Argo is done waiting to be handed the crown; he will take it by force. With the help of Baz, of course, and his unlimited access to the Royal Army so Argo can easily dispose of anyone who threatens the success of his plan as he did with Vienna and intended to with you."

"But why were the slaves needed?"

"There is a certain powerful Shichibukai who owns a prestigious chain of human auction houses, I believe Argo is trying to win his favour but why exactly I do not know, nor is it relevant. I suspect Argo is also using the ships that transport the slaves to bring back toxic plants from other islands."

"Poison?"

"Yes, Argo wants to make this assassination as discrete as possible. There are some exotic poisons that have similar symptoms to normal illnesses of old age. By giving the King minuscule dosages over a long period of time, Argo could make it appear as deteriorating health when it's in fact a prolonged assassination. A very well thought out plan, if I do say so myself. He gets the throne and the country's sympathy. From the information I have gathered, there is a press conference tomorrow in which Argo will probably lament on behalf of his ailing father. This conspiracy seems infallible."

Asuna was silent, she did not know what to think. She had lived her whole life admiring and supporting these powerful figures only to find that they were as corrupt and conniving as the criminals she was ordered to assassinate. It was as if someone had destroyed the foundations she had built all of her morals and virtues upon. What was wrong? What was right? Asuna did not know anymore.

"I understand how you must feel, being so young and naive. I was once naive, too. I never thought that this world I loved so much could be so twisted" Wren sighed as he moved to join her by the window, shoving his hands in the pockets of his suit trousers as he looked wistfully at the town below. "Asuna, I've worked beneath Baz for 25 years now and I must say that this is something I did not expect of him, not that he was ever the predictable kind. I fear for the well being of Cassiopeia's people. From what we have seen so far, these men are ruthless, heartless and determined in the quest for power. I'm in no position to stop them whilst I bear the symbol of the Royal Army, nor are you, Asuna. I think we should forget this and move on. I am so sorry for the pain you have experienced because of this, I should've never given a job like this to someone so young. I apologise, so forgive me."

Asuna's eyes absorbed all the new creases that formed on her boss' face as he gave her a sorrowful smile and placed a reassuring hand on her head. She was unable to formulate any words of protest or reassurance or apology. Mute, she simply observed with wide eyes at her mentor and boss' uncharacteristic display of emotions.

"I have resigned from my post as intelligence director. You are also discharged from your post. Once again, I am sorry Asuna for everything you have been through."

Neither of them moved. Wren's farewell written out loud in the air between them, it's lingering presence weighing not on their shoulders but their hearts. Dark patches stained Wren's wrinkled grey robe as they stained Asuna's chocolate dress.

xxx

After a glorious dinner, Ace rested on the porch rubbing his bulging stomach. The pattering of rain and the smell of nature cloaked his senses. That sunny day in Cassia seemed to be years away.

Since the cottage was destroyed in the flames, Ace, Asuna and Vernados were staying with the jovial astronomy professor, Hermann, and his long-faced wife. From what Ace could tell, Hermann was a family friend. He was a happy and generous man, offering them shelter with a delighted 'Mi casa es tu casa'. Ace decided he liked this man, sans his sour wife of course. Ace had passed his day away helping Vernados clear away the remains of the cottage and scavenge anything intact.

Tired from the heavy, laborious day, Ace spent the rest of his evening on the porch, allowing the heavy rain to lull him into a light sleep.

He awoke to the feeling of cold hands on his torso. His groggy vision focused to the sight of a soaked Asuna, her hair and muddy dress plastered to her skin. Her cold hands clutched a blanket she appeared to be covering him with. A weak smile stretched across those pale lips.

"S-sorry" she shivered, "you looked cold."

Ace took the blanket from her icy hands and placed it over her shaking shoulders. "I think you need it more than I do. What happened?" He did not like how fragile and broken his she looked in response to his question. Tears began to roll down her face, indistinguishable from the rain that coated her glistening skin. As Ace had done more times with Luffy than he cared to admit, he embraced her comfortingly and wiped her tears away.

Once Ace had her wrapped up in blankets and in the bed of the guest room, he sat on the floor with his back against the small nightstand as he listened to Asuna's tale. She told him about the night at the valley and about the political system she had found to be corrupt. Ace gritted his teeth when she told him about her friend's fate. He was not unaware of the World Government's corrupt justice, he had experienced some in his childhood. The image of blond hair and a gap-toothed smile flashed through his mind's eye.

"...but, Ace" Asuna croaked, "what hurts me most is the thought of... if my father was home that night, sleeping and-and", he felt more than saw the fresh tears in her eyes, "he's an old man now and- I just... what if my father was harmed during that raid because of me? Could you imagine if you were the reason any harm came upon someone you have always tried to protect?"

Ace's thoughts flickered to a toothy grin stretching across a scarred, rubber face and a red-ribbon straw hat. Anger coursed through his veins. He understood.

"You said there would be a press conference tomorrow?", Ace caught the affirmative nod Asuna gave in reply. "Good. I wanna see this guy."

xxx

"Ace, this is silly."

"No it's not, besides, it's not like you have a better plan. And stop calling me that, my name is Mr Theodori" Ace hissed, adjusting his sky-blue top hat and tie.

Asuna rolled her eyes. They had travelled to Cassia to find that only the press were allowed into the conference room. Following Ace's plan, they stole the clothes and identities of two journalists who were now unconscious and bound in a supply closet. Both journalists were nobles if their clothing was anything to go by. Mr Theodori or Ace was clothed in a handsome set of sky-blue robes, top hat and tie inclusive. Miss Catarina Kane, whom Asuna had 'borrowed' clothes from, wore a hideous lime-green dress with enough frills, bows and lace to last Asuna lifetime.

Asuna fixed her ascot in place as she tottered dangerously in the sky-high, matching lime-green heels she had pinched from Miss Kane. She felt highly uneasy and it had nothing to do with the corset that was crushing her ribs. The thought of seeing Argo made her stomach roll. Throughout all the unpleasantries she had experienced in the past few days, she had almost forgotten the man orchestrating it all. His damnable existence loomed over her like a dark cloud. This conniving, powerful man was not one to be messed with and Asuna had a bad feeling that Ace was intending precisely that.

Her gaze flickered to the said boy. His top hat was haphazardly perched on his raven locks and a pair of black glasses framed his dark eyes. Brows furrowed in contemplation, his lips were pressed into a thin line beneath a black moustache. Asuna reckoned the facial hair suited him. She could feel a small smile tugging at the edges of her lips, stretching the facial muscles she hadn't used in while for anything other than frowning. Asuna could feel Ace's amused eyes on her, a similar smile hidden beneath the dark hair of his moustache.

Swiftly, Asuna switched her attention to her surroundings as she tried to suppress the blood rushing to her cheeks. They were in a grand function room. The walls were elegantly decorated with paintings; crystal chandeliers hung low from a mosaicked ceiling, depicting Cassiopeia's ascent to the heavens; the smell of tea was thick in the air. All Asuna could hear was the hum of idle chitchat amongst the clinking of crockery. Ace and herself took seats to the far left of the room, away from the impeccably dressed nobles and their extravagant airs.

Ace told Asuna to ready her notepad and pen so it would look like they were genuine journalists seeking a story, not revenge. Some loitering minutes later, a parade of soldiers entered, their pressed uniform proudly bearing the emblem of Cassiopeia. The room was plunged into whispers. Amongst their capped heads, Ace could make out strands of lilac. A man with dark hair and beard lead the pack, his onyx eyes running a deadly gaze over the crowd of journalists. Ace could feel Asuna stiffen in her seat beside him. Ace recognised the distinct insignia of a commander on the lapel of the man's uniform; he was Gituku Baz, Asuna's former superior. Ace's attention was attracted to the large katana at the Herculean man's waist, a powerful hand rested on the hilt cautiously.

The purple-haired man, whom Ace took to be Prince Argo, ascended to the podium with a swish of his magenta robe. The gaggle of reporters and photographers fell silent, the lack of noise was like pressure on Ace's shoulders, a foreboding feeling. The pack of hounds clothed as soldiers assembled about the podium expectantly, as if there were an assassin present in the room. Ace flicked his gaze to Asuna, he could see the suspicious silhouette of her daggers beneath the frilly material. He knew she had experienced a lot of pain at the hands of these two men, but he didn't expect her to do anything rash. Ace moved to hold her slim hand. He squeezed reassuringly and felt her relax. He savoured the feeling of her warm palm and soft skin. Ace was abruptly jolted from his reverie as the room suddenly became alive with noise again; the question and answer session had begun.

"Your highness, has the King's illness been identified?"

"Unfortunately, no. Our doctors are the best, yet even they have not yet been able to diagnose him. Some of the symptoms seem to suggest old age, others are rather foreign" Argo answered eloquently. Ace thought he could hear a smirk in that baritone voice, something that made his blood boil.

"Sir, where is the King now?"

"He remains at the palace."

"Will you have to take the throne? Surely the King, though alive, will not be able to rule in his condition. It would be prudent to hand over the crown now. Cassiopeia needs a capable, healthy ruler to function". The gaggle murmured in agreement, it seemed to Ace this crowd was already pro-Argo. He watched skeptically as an expression of faux understanding and concern stretched across those wretched features. Argo intended to take that crown with or without the nations support. This man made Ace feel sick.

"I understand but we must wait, there is still a possibility that my father may be cured. As I have mentioned, we have a our best doctors on the case."

Ace looked around, the admiration emitting from the reporters was practically tangible. These idiots, these nobles were being tricked. They were supporting the man responsible for the King's condition in the first place, could they not see it? The deceitful glimmer in those violet eyes? The callous, cruel twitch in that artificial frown? Ace was beyond himself, drenched in fury. Argo was the kind of guy Ace hated most.

The majority of the press conference was a blur. Ace did not want to hear another word from that condescending mouth; he was itching for moment he'd return the fresh and trustworthy air outside, away from this fickle atmosphere. Ace was pulled from his thoughts as the oak doors of conference room crashed open. In charged a woman and a man, both quite inadequately clothed in their undergarments and their expressions livid, followed by two guards. A unanimous gasp escaped the crowd.

"Where are they! Where are they!" the bloodthirsty lady screeched, hungry eyes skimming the crowd. Ace and Asuna both sank in their seats.

The guards and a few of the soldiers attempted to remove the furious pair without success. Baz' rumbling voice was heard, "What is the meaning of this?"

"They stole our clothes! They said they were going to sneak in and-"

"Who?", the half naked man's rant was cut off by the commander's firm question.

"Them!"

Ace froze. The temperature of the stuffy room seemed to dropped a few tens in degrees. A red-faced Miss Kane pointed frantically in their direction, charging towards them with malicious intent and Mr Theodori close on her heels. He could feel the unforgiving gaze of Baz and Argo shift to their direction. They were massive trouble, especially if they recognised Asuna's face.

Madly, Ace dashed for the door clutching Asuna's hand tightly. He could feel her trying to keep up in those ridiculous heels. They dodged and swerved, avoiding the lunges of the numerous guards hot on their tail. Ace felt a harsh tug on his hand as Asuna fell, tripping over dress. Like all tragic moments, it happened slowly. First was the missing heat of her palm; second was the lost pressure of her tight grip; third was the absence of her panicked breath. Gradually, he registered with despair and slick fear that Asuna was not with him. He rushed towards her raised hand but was instantly thrusted backwards into the wall with incredible force. Salty blood moistened his parched tongue. Ace looked up for the source of such strength. The muscular frame of Baz blocked his view of Asuna.

Ace charged forward at the large man only to be propelled back, once again. This time he managed to stay on his feet, dragging his green dagger into the floor for friction in an attempt to decelerate. Ace could hear shocked gasps and yells as Baz agilely dodged Asuna's razor-sharp daggers from behind. Baz swiftly retaliated with a powerful blow to the gut, his movements practically a blur. Ace could feel his gut sink at the sight of the crimson fluid Asuna coughed up, beads of red staining the ochre floor. He subconsciously moved to assist his friend but found himself facing the commander's blade, his nose only a few inches away from sharp edge. The blade was abruptly moved by a firm hand to caress the base of Asuna's neck. Ace gritted his teeth.

"Ace-kun, go. What good is it if we're both dead?" Asuna coughed weakly, the sight of her lain helplessly on the floor covered in smatterings of her own blood fueled Ace's anger. He would not turn from a fight, nor would he leave a friend behind. Ace picked up a naginata one of the soldiers had dropped.

Ace darted forward once more, his hands gripping the new weapon as they would a Bo staff. The clashing of steel rang in the air. With a weapon to channel his strength, Ace withstood the force his opponent attacked with. Ace disengaged and parried Baz' oncoming attack. He could see Asuna weakly attempting to get back on her feet. As long as he kept Baz occupied maybe she could escape safely. Their battle moved over to the upturned seating, the gaggle of journalists having scattered in fear. Only Argo and Baz' men remain. Ace kept swinging his naginata at the agile commander only for it to be intercepted every time.

The sight of the violet-haired man yanking an injured Asuna by the hair blinded him of the large fist aimed at his gut. Ace's already throbbing head met with solid brick once more, only this time he could feel some fog begin to cloud his vision as the room around him appeared to darken.

The last thing his groggy mind registered was the odd sight of a raging flame in the place of Argo's fist as he dragged Asuna away from him. Whether it was his concussion or narcolepsy taking effect Ace did not know, but he was gradually plunged into an unfamiliar darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! I hope you enjoy this next chapter, the rating of this story will now be Mature because of this chapter (you'll see). Review please! I really would appreciate some feedback whether it be positive, negative or irrelevant stuff. There is a part of this chapter that I'll just refer to as the white room scene, I wanted to recommend listening to Hold On Till May (acoustic) by Pierce the Veil which helped me write that scene- it's a really good song by a really good band! ㈴2㈇7**

**Disclaimer: Ace & the world of One Piece along with the concept of Devil Fruits belong to Oda. I only claim my OC's and Cassiopeia Kingdom.**

**7/12/13: I have corrected the mistakes in this chapter but there's always a chance that I missed some, if so point it out please! I don't like reading grammatically incorrect or poorly spelt fanfics and I don't think you guys should have to put up with it from me, so please let me know! **

**Ocean-Breeze Mistwolf: **_Thank you! I made Asuna up on a whim, her name idea was from Yuuki Asuna in Sword Art Online. Sadly, I still don't have a surname for her- I'm open to suggestions! I just didn't think a surname mattered because some characters like Sanji and Nami don't have surnames._

Ace was pulled out of his slumber by a sharp pain in his back. He hissed in agony, hands moving to nurse the afflicted area as he attempted to sit up. He was abruptly pushed back by a firm hand.

"Keep still, you shouldn't be moving yet. You've injured your back quite seriously."

Ace complied with the stranger's command. He squinted at his bright surroundings as his vision cleared, the silver-haired stranger coming into focus. The old man was tending to some cuts on Ace's lower leg. The stranger's face was lined with deep wrinkles, grey eyes framed by wiry spectacles concentrated on disinfecting and stitching.

Ace's gaze swept about the small room. The white walls were littered with newspaper cuttings, books and paper cluttered a desk in front of a wide window. Sunlight streamed into the room making the dust specs swirling about the room apparent to Ace's sharp eyes. He was on a little wooden bed similar to the one that had been in Asuna's messy room. Ace's attention was brought back to the greying man who turned towards him, having finished treating his wounds.

"You seem to have taken some damage. That was quite reckless of you, I'm sure you were aware that your opponent was Gituku Baz- Commander of the Royal Army", the man scolded, adjusting his glasses as he leaned back in his chair.

"But Asuna-"

"-is fine, do not worry. I believe you are in worser condition than she is" he reassured. "Now, I don't think I have introduced myself", the man ran a wrinkled hand through his thinning hair as he gave Ace a cordial smile, "I'm Augustus Wren, but you can simply call me Wren".

Ace felt the spark of recognition ignite his addled brain, Asuna had told him of this man. "You're Asuna's boss?"

"I _was_ Asuna's boss. Unfortunately, I do not know your name, young man."

"Ace."

"Do you have a surname, Ace? It's just that you remind me of someone, especially with that ridiculous moustache on" Wren chuckled. Ace gingerly moved his fingers up to feel a hairy mass. He viciously tore the traitor off, the pain above his lips forgotten in the light of being compared to the _Devil._ Ace could feel those amused grey eyes on him.

"Portgas, Portgas D. Ace"

"Portgas? That's a shame, I must have thought wrong" Wren dismissed. Ace could hear the unbelieving tone in the old man's voice but ignored it, glad that the subject had been dropped. "Well, Ace, I suggest you stay in bed for a few more days then-"

"I can't, Asuna needs-"

"I've already told you, Asuna will be fine. Besides, you will not be able to do any good in your condition" Wren said firmly. "It has been 2 days and Asuna is still alive and healthy, or so my sources tell me. If there's one thing I know about Baz and Argo it's that if they intended to kill her, they would have done so at the first opportunity."

"But then what are they intending?" Ace questioned, brows furrowed.

"I'm not sure, as of yet, but it doesn't matter, now does it? As long as she's safe..." Wren's words hung in the air. He was right, Ace concluded. As long as she was safe, everything would be fine. Ace was left to muse in silence as Wren left the room to prepare some food for him.

Surprisingly, Ace was not hungry. However, there was an empty feeling and it was not to do with his stomach. Ace did not know why but the absence of a melodic, feminine laugh reverberating across the room and hazel tresses swaying their sweet honey scent to him was painstakingly evident. Needless to say, he missed her though he had only known her for a few days. Somehow, Ace felt that it was his fault for not being able to save her; it was his fault she was not here beside him. How did he expect to become a legendary pirate- better than the _Devil_- when he couldn't even fight to protect what he cared about? Ace wrung his dark locks in frustration.

He could slowly feel that anger and frustration dim a little as the room waved in and out of focus. Ace felt the darkness take over as his narcolepsy took effect. Into the dark abyss of his mind, he went. Sleep and sound again.

xxx

"Where?"

"Azala, a small farming village towards the north coast of Cassiopeia- almost opposite Liscia" Wren said casually, as if it were nothing.

"But how did I get here? From Cassia?" Ace ranted as he skipped to keep up with Wren's purposeful strides, dodging merchants and shoppers alike. It had become apparent that they were in neither Cassia or Liscia once Ace had stepped out of Wren's little cabin. He had walked out of the peaceful timber house, into a world of cornfields and cattle with red-faced farmers.

"I brought you here. I thought it would be obvious, but it seems you aren't exactly the quickest horse in the stable". Ace ignored the nonchalant jab the old-timer gave at his intelligence as they turned down a muddy path, away from the bustling village centre.

"So", Ace drawled as he picked at the constricting bandages around his torso, " where are we going?"

"You'll see soon enough. Leave those bandages alone or I'll have to prescribe you some more bed rest" Wren said irritably, gaze locked on the curving path. Ace shuddered. He had involuntarily spent the last 3 days in bed, every time he attempted to get up he faced the steely wrath of Wren.

In cordial silence, they approached a weather-beaten country house. The canary-yellow timbered walls looked incredibly unstable to Ace, it's paint peeling in places with patches of mould. Intricately carved beams and pillars supported the roof above a worn veranda, the platform almost down to the level of the unkept front yard.

Ace followed Wren's lead, onto the creaking veranda and past the curtained oak doors, into a dimly lit drawing room. The room was devoid of life, the stale air seizing Ace's throat as his shoulders wracked with coughs. Newspaper clippings and scraps of used paper were strewn across the cluttered room, it seemed they were scattered recently as dust did not layer as thickly over them as it did with other surfaces and objects. The messy and suspiciously empty room piqued Ace's interest. He moved towards the open plan kitchen adjacent to the drawing room, following the vague scent of bacon. Ace sniffed his way to a set of cabinets along the whitewashed walls, Wren close on his heels. Nostrils flared, Ace advanced upon one of the cupboards. With a powerful kick, the cabinet door was broken into splinters. A blood-curdling screech was heard.

Ace jumped in surprise as a three-foot-nothing munchkin launched out of the cupboard, viciously latching onto Ace's leg with razor-sharp teeth. Frantically, Ace hopped about in an attempt to remove the brat from his leg.

"That's enough Eddie" Wren chuckled, finally moving to help Ace. "He's with me."

The little boy that Wren had referred to as Eddie removed himself from Ace, a stream of profuse apologies to Wren spilling out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Wren. This idiot scared me" Eddie said abashedly, sending a vicious glare at Ace.

"No problem at all. Now, Eddie, where's your father and everybody else?"

"They're training down at the lake. I could take you there" the little kid offered, finishing off the remnants of the bacon sandwich that had drawn Ace to the kitchen in the first place.

Wren accepted the offer. The three of them made their way through the pitiful house's back door and across the sloping forest floor. From the higher view, Ace could make out the shapes of about 60 people by a glittering lake. As they moved closer it was clear that there was a battle of some sort taking place as swords were drawn and punches thrown. As if in choreographic unison, the mass of fighters skilfully dodged, ducked and, in some cases, back-flipped to avoid their opponent's attack. Ace had to admit, they were all flawless in technique, whether it be swordplay or hand-to-hand combat. Eddie left the pair as he ran down the hill to get his father. They were soon approached by a tall man who appeared to be in his late thirties.

"Augustus, how are you?" Eddie's father said, clasping hands with Wren.

"I am fine, thank you. Ah, yes, Yaxley this is Ace", the old-timer gestured to Ace. A look of surprise washed over the man's face as his gaze raked over Ace.

"Is this the brat that gave Baz a hard-time? You're kidding me right? He barely has any muscle", Yaxley poked at Ace's exposed biceps with a chuckle. Ace hissed at man's mocking tone, his cheeks tinging a shade of pink.

"Looks can be deceiving at times. But that is not my purpose for coming here. Yaxley, I believe it is time to act."

Ace observed as Yaxley's playful expression changed into one of absolute seriousness at Wren's dire tone. "Tonight?"

"Indeed. If we leave it any later the King might be too far gone for us to save."

Yaxley nodded in agreement to Wren's statement, his long ponytail of blonde hair swishing at the movement and his multiple ear piercings jingling with their accessories. "I'll let everyone know. We'll meet outside Siuand once it gets dark."

"I appreciate it" Wren thanked. "Now", the greying man switched his attention to Ace, "I want you to stay with Yaxley and the rest of the rebels. There is a lot that needs to be explained to you, but the most important is that you'll have an opening to get Asuna back", Ace's ears quirked at the sound of her name, "I have some business to sort out beforehand, so I'll see you tonight". Ace dipped his head in understanding as Wren briefly explained what was going on. Wren gave Ace a brisk, dismissive wave then departed. He had said that Yaxley would be more than happy to answer any of Ace's questions or explain any parts of the plan again.

Asuna's absence had weighed heavily on his shoulders for the past few days, finally, Ace would be able to get his navigator back. With this new determination and fire, Ace went about aiding Yaxley with the preparations for the night.

xxx

The clicking of shoes against highly polished wood echoed along the spacious halls, accompanied by the occasional swish of a khaki robe and the chink of a katana in its sheathe. A shadow amongst shadows, Commander Gituku Baz strode with purpose and power.

Through boundless passageways and down winding stairs, he expertly made his way to the depths of the marble palace, beneath the manicured grounds. Entering into a grand parlour of muted teal silks and gemstone encrusted furniture, Baz took a seat opposite his lavender superior who was reclining on a silken chaise lounge, a half-full wine glass held delicately in his flammable grasp. The lights were low, the room silent with the ungodly hour save the ticking of a grandfather clock and the swish of toxic fluid as Baz poured himself a generous glass of sake.

"Augustus is yet to make a move but it will undoubtedly be tonight. I have doubled the security outside her room, I believe Augustus will want to rescue her, too" Baz reported placidly.

Argo smirked. "If Augustus makes it that far, I'm sure he won't like what he finds. And what of that foreign brat?"

"It seems he has taken the boy into his ranks. Nothing to worry about, the kid may have been, in the least, a satisfactory fighter but, alas, he is just a child. Wren has always put too much faith in little kids, one of which has ended up locked within these walls."

"Very well. I want you to guard the room where my father is, with old Vernados. I don't want him interfering, though he swears loyalty to the Army, I feel he is too sympathetic. Ensure he stays away from her room" Argo ordered firmly. Baz was carelessly dismissed by a raised palm of flames. Without question, Baz rose to his feet to follow out Argo's orders.

xxx

It was cold. Unfortunately, the cold was not enough to numb the pain that cloaked Asuna's senses. Deaf; dumb; blind to her surroundings, she was. The only thing she registered was her laboured breathing and the occasional convulsion that shook her sore body.

A stray tear slid down her cheeks, dropping onto her pillow of sweat matted hair. Asuna pressed her legs together in hope that maybe the pressure would somehow dull the ache that plagued her shameful regions. A shaky breath escaped her swollen lips. Would Cassiopeia, in her throne amongst the stars, save her now?

Asuna could not bear to face the world after this. She did not wish to be rescued; she wished for death. Raven waves and freckled cheeks flicked through her disorderly mind. If he saw her like this... yes, yes, death was the solution to her humiliation. Asuna felt ashamed, but she did not know why, exactly. For being a woman? But that was out of her control. For being touched by foul hands, like that? Maybe. The click of a lock distracted her from her musings. Steady and heavy footfalls sounded towards her then paused. The muffled screech of gritting teeth behind pressed lips was heard as she felt a blanket drape over her bruised skin. Strong arms lifted her, placing her gently onto a soft surface she assumed to be a bed.

Just as swiftly as they came, the footfalls left. Asuna was left alone to dip in and out of unconsciousness and agony, once again. The silence was deadly; insanity was now plausible.

xxx

The night brought with it a cool breeze and an air of apprehension. The usually cloudless and starry skies of Cassiopeia were gone, a foreboding grey painted the night sky in it's place. With the astuteness of a country-bred boy, Ace could feel the shifting weather and sense the oncoming storm. The heavens were brewing a maelstrom as they were brewing a rebellion. Ace switched his gaze from the darkened expanse above him to the shadowed figures of his scattered companions. They were all clothed in dark robes, hoods shrouding their faces and weapons within reach. Despite their numbers, it was silent as they waited.

Ace could see the dim lights of a sleeping Siuand to the west. He had been acquainted with yet another of Cassiopeia's plentiful towns. Siuand, as Yaxley had explained, was a town of gifted intellectuals, renowned for its contribution to Cassiopeia's House of Wisdom. Siuand was famous for its literature and theatre, Yaxley had recommended a play by the name 'Anna Maria' with the claim that the leading actress had 'the biggest knockers in the world'. Ace expelled a mouthful of cold air in impatience. They awaited Wren.

A few shivering moments later, a cloaked figure joined the group. Wren gave patted Ace firmly in greeting and gave Yaxley a definite nod. They were off. Into the forested outskirts of north Cassia they went, the large group hidden beneath the thick canopy of branches and leaves. The smell of nature hit Ace's senses hard, fuelling him for the hours ahead. He was exhilarated. The taste of an adventure drenching his tongue.

Once towards the centre of Cassia, they split up into smaller groups, each taking a den-den mushi. Ace was paired with Wren and a few rebels. Their group was to enter the palace last, Wren explained. Yaxley and the other units would head in first to open all the doors and take out any lingering guards, then they would enter so Wren could get to the King easily. Ace had been informed by the old-timer that Asuna was being held a few floors above the King but on the same side of the palace, so he would split away from the group when the time was right to rescue her. He and Asuna would then meet them all back at Siuand. It sounded easier than it actually was but Ace was prepared. He would get Asuna back and she would become his navigator._ Buru-buru, buru-buru_. Ace switched his attention to Wren as he answered the Yaxley-faced den-den mushi.

"Yaxley?"

"We've entered. There were a lot more guards than expected but we took them down", Ace heard Yaxley huff in between breaths.

"Very well. We're on our way, keep the coast clear for us". Wren gestured for their group to move out. Stealthily, they crept onto the palace grounds using the ghoulish shadows of the exotically shaped hedges for cover. Ace raised a brow in suspicion. He did not know why but he felt like something was off. Maybe it was the unusual silence or the odd absence of servants that Ace would have expected to be present at a royal palace. Through the grand double doors, they met with Yaxley and his group in a spacious foyer.

"Wren, I-"

"I know, I have a bad feeling too", Wren cut off Ace, "but it would be foolish to retreat now. Ace, you go to Asuna. Benji; Ross, I want you two to go with him just in case. I'll contact you via den-den mushi if anything goes wrong." With that they were dismissed.

Ace followed the tattooed man by the name Benji, who seemed to know where they were going. Ross, a well-built ex-soldier, watched their backs in case off a surprise attack. They climbed to the third floor, Ace noted the further lack of guards or servants. His feeling of foreboding was beyond the roofs of the colossal palace. Benji paused, causing Ace to also come to a halt.

"What?" Ace questioned, only to be silenced by a raised finger.

"Can you hear that?"

Ace listened. There was a clicking sound, the type that preceded a bomb. Ace's dark gaze met with Benji's grey, identical expressions of realisation on their faces. They were too slow. In a blur, Ace found himself propelled forward by the force of the explosion. He collided into the wall at the end of the spacious hallway followed by Benji. They groaned in unison, both winded from the impact. Ace felt his vision wane in and out focus as he watched Benji scurry into the flames frantically. He moved a hand to his skull, fingers meeting with a sticky substance.

Benji emerged from the flames with a bloody Ross over his shoulder. Ace rose to assist the blistered man, together they heaved Ross' large frame to safety. Ace swiftly went to check his pulse which, thankfully, was still present. Ace's sharp eyes examined the injuries. Ross was blistered everywhere, his hair completely singed and half of his face morphed by the flames. The scent of blood and burnt flesh was thick in the air. Ace looked to Benji's torn face, his mousy brown hair matted with blood and soot. A feeling of guilt and sympathy held Ace's throat, this wouldn't have happened if Ace didn't need protection. He should be strong enough to do this on his own.

"Take him back outside, you can wait there while I get Asuna then we can head to Siuand-"

"No, we're on orders to protect you, Wre-"

"I can do this on my own. I don't need protecting" Ace interrupted firmly, onyx eyes ablaze. "Go somewhere safe and make sure Ross is fine."

With an apprehensive look, Benji complied, carrying his injured friend on his shoulder. Ace sighed. What was wrong with him? It was his fault that Asuna was in this situation and when he tried to fix it by rescuing her it resulted in another person getting injured. He did not deserve the care and security these Cassiopeians were openly giving him. His gaze lingered on the flicking flames down the long hallway, their violent light reflecting in his dark eyes. He was like a flame- _a fire_, uncontrollable and dangerous. He did nothing but destroy and devour like wretched flames. Was it not fitting? For the child of the _Devil_ to wield properties similar to Hell's blazing fire.

Ace got to his shaky feet. This was not the time for self pity, he had to fix what he had wrecked- first, he had to save Asuna. He did not know his way around the palace but that was not relevant. Ace doubted Asuna was in this part of the palace. If Argo let a bomb go off in his palace, it was safe to assume he was not holding his hostages anywhere near it. Letting his feet and instinct lead the way, Ace turned down an adjacent hallway and down a set of stairs with his dagger drawn.

Left and right, he weaved his way through the marble monster's innards with his senses as guides. Smelling gunpowder, Ace came to a halt. He could hear a low, familiar voice. The gravelly rumble of Baz echoed down the corridor, his demanding tone reverberating across the plain white walls. Ace could feel his heart beating in his ears but remained silent and still. He strained to hear over the pumping of blood.

"... she is guilty of treason. I don't care if she's your daughter, Vernados, I strictly ordered you to stand guard in the left wing."

"I just wanted to see if it was true..." With surprise Ace recognised the second voice of Asuna's father. His teeth gritted at the pain and fear he heard in the old man's voice.

"What _you_ want is irrelevant, Argo wants you to guard the King's room with me and some other soldiers". Ace sighed in relief as he heard the sound heavy footfalls of the two men head in the opposite direction.

Ace wondered why Vernados was still with the Army and Baz. Didn't he see the lies? Or was he just as blind as those noble journalists? How someone could let duty prevail over family, Ace did not know. But that didn't matter now. He had a lead to Asuna's location. It sounded like Baz had found Vernados visiting Asuna, so she must be somewhere close by. Ace took a chance and went in the opposite direction of where Baz and Vernados were headed.

The scent of gunpowder was stronger, a good sign to Ace. Gunpowder meant guns; guns meant soldiers; soldiers meant hostage. Once he was close enough to see the dozen or so guards outside a room, he scampered up the walls, balancing himself on the iron beams that criss-crossed over the wide halls. Ace trod steadily, trying to not shake the numerous chandeliers that hung from the grid of beams.

He crouched to assess the men below. Ace estimated 16 of them. They were all clothed in khaki military robes, each soldier held a rifle at the ready, daggers and swords adorned their waists. Ace was screwed. All of them seemed as well-built as Baz, each with an air of ferocity like wolves awaiting their prey. He was the defenceless lamb for slaughter.

If Ace was going to get into that room, he needed to be creative because there was no way he'd be able defeat all of them and still have the energy to assist Asuna to escape. Plus, they all had guns, chances were if he jumped one the others would all shoot at him. Ace looked to his surroundings for aid, his eyes locked onto a glittering chandelier. His mind was alight.

Pulling out his dagger, Ace moved across to a chandelier that most of the guards were below and went about unscrewing the bolts with his blade. A few tedious seconds later, the glittering metalwork of diamonds crashed to the ground, taking six men with it. By the time the remaining soldiers shot up at Ace he had already unbolted three more chandeliers which collapsed in a similar fashion. Ace jumped down from the beams to assess the damage. Blood coated diamonds were scattered across the glossy flooring, unconscious soldiers lay beneath twisted steel frames. One unfortunate man was skewered by a chandelier branch, his limbs soaked in red. Ace swiftly plunged his dagger into the chest of a soldier that regained consciousness as he made his way to oak double doors that separated him from Asuna.

Finding the door to be locked, he kicked it open powerfully, impatience and recklessness his fuel. He entered the airy room, his bloody boots staining the creamy carpet. A soft breeze ran through Ace's sweat dampened locks, caressing his exposed chest gently. Ace closed his eyes at the sensation. He opened his eyes and calmly observed the hemispherical room. Open windows lined the curved wall, their white chiffon curtains billowing gracefully in the night breeze. A four-poster bed was at the room's centre, its drawn curtains also danced in the wind, creating wondrous patterns on the plain walls. The room had an ethereal atmosphere, glowing with pale beauty in the moonlight. Ace felt like he was trespassing into a world of innocence and perfection, all that he was not. Nonetheless, he basked in the light, enjoying everything that was forbidden to a kindling fire like him.

Cautiously, Ace ascended the wooden steps that lead into the centre of the room, afraid of tainting the angelic air. He pulled back the veils of chiffon, seeking the sleeping silhouette on the bed that was shadowed beneath a canopy of silken drapes. As Ace stepped closer he could make out more familiar details. Hazel waves were strewn across the white sheets, a chocolate sea of tresses. The rhythmic rise and fall of the silhouette eased Ace into a state of calm, washing away the apprehension. She was so perfect, a sleeping angel amongst sheets of ivory smeared with scarlet. Scarlet. _Scarlet?_

Ace rushed to the bed, clawing at the bloody sheets. His frantic fingers met the bare skin of Asuna's back. What was going on? Ace felt his gut sink at the sight of the black and blue skin of her naked body, her creamy skin was marred by bruises the same way the creamy carpet was marred Ace's crimson footprints. Did destruction have to follow him everywhere? Even in this room of beatific light? Ace clutched the tarnished sheets, burying his wretched face in the soft material. This was his fault. He just had to ruin something so beautiful and innocent. Ace squeezed his wet eyes shut in an attempt to block out the pain and guilt.

Like the night breeze, Ace felt cool fingers run through his hair gently, stroking away his woes. Carefully, so as not to startle the exquisite thing, Ace raised his shameful face. The satin-like hand moved from his hair, sliding down to cup his face and run a warm thumb over his freckled cheek. Dark eyes met with those of gold. Pale lips curved into a familiar smile, putting Ace's tears to rest.

Asuna wiped away Ace's tears the same way he had done with her when she had cried. All she could was smile, her throat swollen with emotion and sore from screaming. Her fingers traced over his face as she came to grasps with reality. He was here. He came. _He came_. Asuna's eyes widened in horror as she scrambled to cover herself but was stopped by a firm hand on her wrist. Ace removed the black, sleeveless robe from his shoulders and handed it to her silently, an understanding look in his eyes. She did not have to be ashamed with him; there was nothing to hide. Asuna slipped on the robe, tying it at her waist. Ace's strong arms lifted her from the bed and carefully set her on her feet, toes meeting the plush carpet.

"Ace-kun" she managed to choke out as she held onto him tightly, nestling her head into the crook of his neck. Asuna felt the deep rumble of acknowledgement vibrate through his chest. "Thank you". Asuna would've cried if she could but she had spent so much of the last few days crying that even tears of happiness were unthinkable.

She felt Ace's hands holding her just as tightly, his tears dripping onto the skin of shoulder. His words were unintelligible mumbles muffled in her hair. "... my fault... sorry... I".

Asuna pressed her lips to his shoulder, tightening her hold on him. "Your the last person I would think to blame. It's not your fault" she whispered, moving back to see his eyes, "Ace, I'm so happy you're here".

He nodded stiffly as Asuna dried his eyes, moving his hand to hold hers firmly. Asuna squeezed reassuringly. He led the way and Asuna followed, never removing their hands from each other's. As they entered the hall, Ace lifted Asuna above the bloody chandelier glass, an arm around her middle and beneath her knees. She had expected him to put her down once they had passed the glass but Ace continued to keep her aloft, holding her delicately. Asuna did not know where they were going, nor did she care. She trusted Ace and that was enough. The regular beat of his heart and his soft footfalls soothed her sore body.

Their silent journey was broken by the sound of shattering glass. Ace ducked to shield Asuna from the flying shards with his body, ignoring the shallow cuts on his bare back. A limp body flew through a glass door, into the hallway, to collide with the wall. Ace's breath hitched sharply as he recognised the scarlet soaked pony tail and ear piercings. Yaxley was pale with a fatal looking gash across his torso. Ace set Asuna down gently then rushed to aid his friend.

"Yaxley, what-"

Ace froze mid sentence as a look absolute of fear crept onto the man's face. A large shadow on the wall caught Ace's attention. He heard the 'shink' of a sword being unsheathed but lacked the time to do anything more than turn around. Ace was prepared for the pain of Baz' katana slicing him cleanly into two but it never came. The clashing of steel rang in the air. In front of Ace stood Wren, his steel forearms parrying the blow. They disengaged, jumping apart in anticipation of another offensive.

"Wren" Ace sighed in relief.

The grey-haired elder flicked his astute gaze to Ace then over Asuna. Ace could see his jaw lock. "Good, you have her. Ace, I need you to do me a favour. Save the King. He is being held in a tower in the left building", Ace nodded in understanding, "I'll take care of this one" Wren said determinedly, his eyes visibly darkening as he morphed his full body into steel.

"Good luck" Baz scoffed, a knowing tone in his voice that gave Ace a bad feeling.

Ace took Asuna's hand as they ran to comply with Wren's request. They exited into a large courtyard of grand fountains and extravagant horticulture. The scent of flowers assaulted Ace's senses, the cool air clearing his mind. Holding Asuna's hand tightly, he weaved around fountains and marble statues towards the door on the other side of the courtyard. The silence was sweet; the atmosphere was calm.

Ace and Asuna could've been a young couple, taking a companionable stroll beneath the night sky. It was peaceful; too peaceful. Something was off. He sensed the presence then heard the deafening bang of a gunshot and Asuna's murderous scream. Ace stumbled forward with the impact, a hand clutching a bloody shoulder. Ace had never been shot before, it was safe to say that the hot white pain was a new sensation for him. He could feel Asuna's cool hands steady his swaying shoulders, her amber eyes waning in and out of focus as he battled with the sharp pain. Following Asuna's gaze, Ace turned around to see their attacker. Vernados stood a few metres away, a rifle aloft in his hands.

"Father" Asuna stated, Ace could hear the pain and outrage laced in her hoarse voice. The old man gave them a fierce look and simply cocked his gun in reply. By the time the next shot had sounded, Ace found himself pushed to the ground. Asuna, lithely charged at the old man, aiming a swift kick at the rifle in his hand. The gun clattered to the ground a few feet away, Ace could see the grimace on Asuna's face as she exerted her sore body. He noted the halfhearted blows that Vernados gave in return to Asuna's high kicks, unlike the vicious strikes he had served Ace when they trained. Ace could catch hints of what Asuna was saying in between attacks, her voice thick with emotion.

"... how dare you?... Can't you see that... he saved me... Father?"

Ace could not hear above the blood rushing through his ears, his heart sounding there once again. Asuna sent a hard blow to the man's neck, abruptly knocking him to his knees. Ace saw the pained look in Vernados' wet eyes as he struggled to get up. With an accurately aimed strike, he was unconscious.

Silently, Asuna returned to help Ace to his feet. He gritted his teeth. He had to come to his senses and ignore this pain. He did not need to have someone else protect him. Ace brushed Asuna's helping hands away as he stood by himself. He took her hand in his once again, taking note of her glittering tears as they entered the palace once again.

Ace acknowledged the sent of gunpowder, again. They followed the smell up a spiralling set of stairs until the clinking of weapons was apparent. Peeking out around the corner, Ace saw about 30 soldiers on a spacious landing, guarding a set of double doors. He felt Asuna squeeze his hand firmly. Looking down at her face, he saw an encouraging smile stretch across her delicate features. They were in this together.

On the count of three, they charged out of their corner, Ace slashing through the guards like paper with his dagger as Asuna sent men flying with her unique kicking technique. Within 15 minutes they had all the soldiers either bleeding excessively or unconscious. Ace made his way to the doors. Finding them unlocked, he entered gingerly with Asuna close on his heels. The room was empty.

Ace was confused, this was surely the room Wren had indicated. The empty space was similar in shape to the room Asuna had been in but lacked the furniture and billowing curtains of her ethereal room. Why were there so many guards if there was no hostage? Ace had a bad feeling.

"Asuna, we should go" Ace said, finding her to have a similarly foreboding expression. She nodded in agreement. Ace reached for the bronze door handle, only to pull back his blistered palm impulsively.

"Ace?" Asuna queried worriedly, examining his scorched hand.

Ace had enough time to look into her troubled eyes before they were both thrown into the back wall by a powerful force. A ball of rippling flames propelled the doors off their hinges, opening into the hallway that was now occupied by a blazing inferno. The smell of burning flesh assaulted Ace's nostrils, the disfigured bodies of the unconscious soldiers were silhouetted in the flames. The clicking of shoes prevailed over the crackling fire, a lethargic staccato on the polished floor boards. A deep chuckle reverberated across the smoke filled room. Argo's lilac locks shook with deranged laughter.

"You thought you could save the King?" he questioned incredulously, eliciting more hysterical laughter.

Ace gritted his teeth, ignoring his further burns and injuries. To his far left, Asuna was propped up against the wall with just as many burns and blood seeping from her hairline, wearing a fearful expression. Ace did not have to think twice to know that this man must have been the one to put those bruises on her fair skin and tarnish her like that. A fresh wave of anger washed over him at the thought.

"I see you saved your princess" Argo said mockingly, his lavender eyes moving over Asuna's body in a way that made Ace's blood ignite.

"Where's the King?" Asuna coughed out as she struggled against the smoke.

"The King?", a feline smile graced the wretched Prince's face, "the King is dead". Ace stared unbelievingly at the proud man. "But if you would like to save the King's corpse it is downstairs" he joked, obviously savouring the expressions on Ace and Asuna's faces. "The only reason I kept him alive so long was to get Augustus. You see, there's one person on this island who would've been able to stop me from becoming King was him, but of course he's probably dead by now. Even if Baz failed to kill him, he would've at least kept him occupied long enough for the palace to 'accidentally' set on fire" Argo continued.

Ace realised that this man was not only insane but heartless. He had even used Baz, not caring if he died in the inferno or not. If there was something that got Ace angry the most it was men like Argo, who threw away the lives of his subordinates as if it were nothing. A leader should value his men's lives above his own. Ace had enough. He charged at the man.

He sent a fierce punch to Argo's gut, relishing every drop of blood that splattered onto the floor as he coughed. Ace barely dodged the fire laced fist aimed at his head as Argo recovered, wiping the blood from his mouth vehemently. "You little brat" he spat, his lavender hair disarrayed, "you think you can hurt me?"

"Just did" Ace retorted in low hiss, enjoying the look of outrage on Argo's face.

"You can't touch me- _I am fire!_" he exclaimed, his body dissipating into violent flames as he became buoyant. "I have the power of the Mera-Mera no Mi!" Argo opened his ignited arms in a wide gesture, wings of flames rippled about him, creating a suffocating atmosphere as they devoured the oxygen in the room. Ace recognised the devil fruit to be a logia, if he attacked now he would just get burned.

The battle began. Ace dodged and ducked skilfully, taking heed of what Vernados had taught him about logias, as he avoided Argo's blazing attacks. Ace's gaze flickered to the fire ball that skimmed past an unaware Asuna, singing the ends of her hair as she moved out of the way just in time. He faltered. His falter costed him dearly. Ace felt an astonishing pain ignite his skin as he was hit by a wall of fire head first. He dropped to his knees, unable to keep his bloody and burnt limbs aloft. A strangled cry escaped his throat as Argo's solid leg smashed his head into the ground.

"Ace!", he heard the panicked voice of Asuna beneath the agonised screams of his senses. Ace squinted his raw eyes to see the fiery silhouette of Argo racing towards her helpless form. He did not think, but feel, as his heavy limbs exerted themselves, Ace jumped in front of Asuna instinctively, dagger raised in a lame attempt to defend them. He would not allow this man to harm her any longer, he would not let this personified flame destroy any more.

Ace felt the red liquid splatter on his attacking arm and torso, cooling his burning senses. Argo's lilac pupils were dilated in just as much surprise as Ace's. The dagger was lodged in Argo's chest to the hilt, it's green grip dripping with the crimson fluid. With a violent cough, the lavender prince expelled some more red, the thick substance dripping into the fire that covered half the room. A look of intense hatred crossed Argo's face as he gripped Ace's arm with inhuman strength. Ace felt the scalding palms slacken on his wrists as gravity seemed to take effect, Argo's body slumping to the blazing floor. The sound of the crackling flames and collapsing room almost drowned out the Mera-Mera man's last, vehement whisper of "_Kairoseki_".

Ace was dumbfounded. The deafening roar of the carnivorous inferno brought Ace back to his senses as the roof above the doorway collapsed. He turned to Asuna, her wide eyes glowing in the flames.

"Ace-"

He silenced her with an affirmative nod. Ace pushed his suffering body's qualms aside as he rose to his feet, ignoring the suffocating smoke. He lifted Asuna up, above the flames of destruction. The inferno about them was brewing, Ace could feel the accumulating pressure within the room. They had little time to escape. Ace's dark eyes skimmed about the room for an exit, his gaze lingering over the shattered windows.

They jumped, the force of the explosion pushing them apart as they cascaded with gravity's guidance. Ace reached out, grasping desperately as soon as his fingers came into contact with Asuna's. They were airborne. Ace did not think he had ever seen Asuna look so beautiful: her chestnut waves were singed but still appeared glossy in the moonlight, blowing in the resistant air; her skin radiant despite the bruises and blood; eyes wet with tears but still their exquisite shade of gold. She was broken but yet angelic and ethereal to Ace. He felt that feeling of guilt and trespassing he had in the white room with its chiffon curtains, as he admired this thing of beauty. Ace held her tighter and tighter yet, unwilling to let go of such a beatific being that was forbidden to a creature like him. The sensation of the rippling wind and soft skin kept him company, the sound of the spitting inferno an collapsing palace muffled beneath the whistling of wind.

Together, they broke through the ice cold surface, the dark green water of the palace ground's lake shattered upon contact. Ace was plunged into a refracted world of murky depths. Surfacing, he found Asuna gasping and wiping at her stinging eyes as she kept afloat. He took her in his arms once more, swimming to the lake's edge and moving them to dry ground.

Ace moved lethargically, his charred muscles finally quitting on him as he slumped on the grass opposite Asuna who was moving in a similar fashion. He heard the melodic laugh, he had missed so much, echo into the early hours of the morning. Ace closed his eyes, savouring the blissful sound. The last thing Ace registered was the cool feeling of slick skin against his as it began to rain, the soft pattering lulling him into unconsciousness.


End file.
